date: Bible Passage: Exodus 3 4 (Moses on Holy Ground) REMEMBER VERSE Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 God Is the Lord, Part I Schedule Anticipate 5 10 minutes Celebrate & Respond Large Group 35 55 minutes Respond & Bless Small Group 20 25 minutes Environment: FAITH COMMUNITY God designed us to live in community and to experience Him in ways that can only happen in proximity to one another. The faith community serves to create an environment to equip and disciple parents, to celebrate God s faithfulness, and to bring a richness of worship through tradition and rituals, which offer children an identity. Our love for each other reflects the love we have received from God.. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.
Equip When God revealed His name to Moses in Exodus 3:14, He said, I AM WHO I AM [Ehyeh-Asherr-Ehyeh]. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM [Ehyeh] has sent me to you. The word Ehyeh means, to be or to become and the word Asherr means who or what. Therefore, Ehyeh-Asherr-Ehyeh means, I am that I am, or I am who I am, or I am going to be who I am going to be, etc. Resource Tip A storytelling video is available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users may access this resource on the My Lessons page > Extras > Storytelling Videos. By making Himself known through the name Ehyeh-Asherr-Ehyeh, God revealed that He exists, has always existed, and will always exist (in contrast to the Egyptian gods who did not exist). But He revealed even more than that. The name Ehyeh-Asherr-Ehyeh also implies liveliness, movement, and dynamism. This is nowhere more evident than in God s incarnation, when He became a man. The name Jesus (Yeshua) means, Jehovah is salvation. Through Jesus Christ, God became what He needed to be for the sake of His people: salvation incarnate. Ehyeh-Asherr-Ehyeh, the God of the covenant, became a man in order to fulfill His covenant promise. Through Jesus, God defeated the ultimate barrier to His people s inability to live with Him and worship Him forever. In the New Testament, Jesus indicated that He was Jehovah by calling Himself, I am. God said in John 15:1, I am the true vine, and in John 8:12, I am the light of the world. Through these and other confessions, Jesus revealed Himself as the everlasting Ehyeh-Asherr-Ehyeh, who has always been, will always be, and will continue to become what He will be for the sake of His people. 3
N O T E S : Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare (Master Supply List under Resource Tab) Anticipate// Small Group Check-In 5 10 min. Encourages interaction among kids, leaders, and parents; engages the kids in curiosity and anticipation of the lesson; and creates an inviting atmosphere. Stocking Feet extra socks or stockings Celebrate// Large Group 20 35 min. Establishes community and tells stories both personal and biblical in a fun and engaging way. Traditions mementos for your church Traditions (rocks, marbles, ping-pong balls, etc.) Remember Verse cards, slides, and animation (see Resource Folder) Connect Connect Activity slide (see Resource Folder) The Big God Story Bible Timeline slide and animation, Abraham Moses video clip, campfire video clip, I Am Who I Am slide (see Resource Folder) Respond// Large Group 15 20 min. Creates space for children to respond to the Holy Spirit in worship and community as a large group. Responding in His Power TruWorship CD How do you hear God? video clip (see Resource Folder) Worship Response Stations: Prayer Wall and Prayer Journals Respond// Small Group 15 20 min. Discusses Truth, reflects on the lesson, engages in relationships, and creates a project or a piece of art individually or together. Reflect: God Is the Lord questions Create: God Is the Lord notebook (1 per child, small group, or room) pens or markers Bless// Small Group 5 min. Sends the kids out with a sense of peace and blessing so they can be a blessing to their families and others. Bible (for the blessing) HomeFront Weekly (1 per child, see Resource Folder) 6
SMALL Group S E C T I O N Anticipate// 5 10 min. Small Group Leaders An energizing time for parents and kids to start engaging with the material that will be presented in the lesson. It is intentionally designed to spark curiosity and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder about God. Encourage parents to participate in this time with their kids. Stocking Feet SUPPLIES extra socks or stockings SET UP When the kids arrive, ask them to take off their shoes and play games in their socks. Have extra socks or stockings on hand for kids who need them. Do this in an open space where they will not slip, or run into furniture or other children. ENGAGE Encourage the kids to play games like Twister or Sock Steal. Or have the children put one of their shoes into a big pile. At Go!, have the kids grab a shoe, and quickly find the person with the match. To play Sock Steal: Pull your socks down so that they are flopping and hanging off your toes. Then, crawling on your hands and knees, try to steal the other players socks. When both of your socks have been taken, you re out. Last one left with a sock is the winner. When Moses was tending sheep on Mt. Horeb, God called to him from a burning bush. First, God told Moses to take off his shoes because the ground he stood on was holy. Removing sandals in front of a king was a practice of people in Moses day. It was a sign of respect. Resource Tip Remember Verse Games are available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users may access this resource on the My Lessons page > Extras > Small Group Enhancements. Partner Church Comments We changed the shoe game a bit. The kids put both of their shoes in one big pile. Two at a time, the kids were blindfolded and had to find their shoes in the pile by touch. River West Church We played Barefoot Bocci. Each player removes one sock, balls it up, and labels it with tape, then tries tossing his sock into a target (hat or bowl) from across the room or marked tossing line. Olathe Bible Church 7
LARGE Group S E C T I O N Celebrate//20 35 min. Host/Storyteller Kids get to be a part of the faith community of God s family. Welcome and Traditions After everyone is gathered together as a large group, open with Traditions. During Traditions, you are helping the kids work toward a common goal and giving them mementos to celebrate things like memorizing the Remember Verse, inviting a friend, or bringing their Bibles. They participate in traditions and share them with newcomers, connect through fun and interaction, and experience The Big God Story through storytelling. Partner Church Comments The kids and leaders loved the Connect Activity. The kids really got-into meeting each other. The leaders usually have little time to meet kids and learn facts about them. Elmbrook Church REMEMBER VERSE This is a good time to introduce kids to or remind them of the Remember Verse. As they arrive, open a Bible and read it together if time allows. Remember Verse cards, slides, and animation can be found in the Resource Folder. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 Mementos can be anything, such as rocks, marbles, ping-pong balls, or connecting blocks. Once the kids have been awarded their mementos, direct them to put the mementos into a container or add them to a building effort. When the common-goal tradition is complete, have a celebration! (See the RockWall example in the How It Works document under the Resource Tab.) Connect Connect is a time to laugh, play, and enjoy each other s company. Engaging questions, energizing games, and creative activities encourage the community to get to know each other. Invite the kids to participate in the following activity. Have them approach as many people as they can, meeting anyone they don t know yet. After a minute or two, ask several kids to recite to the group as many of the kids names as possible. See the Connect Activity slide in the Resource Folder. Activity Introduce yourself to as many people as possible in a minute. See how many names you can remember and repeat to the Host. Prayer of Release At the end of Connect, pray a Prayer of Release. This is a time for kids and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. Ask them to quiet their voices, take their seats, and pray with you. 8
N O T E S : The Big God Story Storyteller During The Big God Story, the kids will discover how God called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. Though this part of The Big God Story can be delivered verbatim, read it before the lesson, so you can personally interact with the material. Share stories from your life, and speak with your own style by varying your intonation and gestures. Tip Before sharing this account of how God called Moses, point out that what they are about to hear is true and is recorded in the Bible. Open your Bible to the passage and leave it open and visible throughout The Big God Story. Establish a consistent place to keep this Bible every week. Resource Tip A storytelling video is available for this lesson. Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users may access this resource on the My Lessons page > Extras > Storytelling Videos. Visual Aids You will find JPEGs of various visual aids in the Resource Folder for TruStory lessons. Please use these files in whichever format works best for your church, whether you use computer media, an overhead projector, or poster board. Invite kids to open their Bibles and follow along in Exodus 3:2 14 as you storytell. Encourage adult volunteers to keep an eye out for kids who need help finding the Scripture passage, and allow enough time for each child to locate the passage. You may want to project the reference on a screen or write it in large print on a poster board or whiteboard. God Is the Lord SUPPLIES Bible Timeline slide and animation, Abraham Moses video clip, campfire video clip, I Am Who I Am slide (see Resource Folder) SET UP Cue Timeline, videos, and slide. Last week we heard how God asked a man named Abraham to leave his family and leave his home because God had an amazing promise for him. This promise is called a covenant. Through Abraham and his descendants (a fancy word for family ), God wanted to create a new beginning with a nation of people who would be free to worship only Him. God kept His promise because, over a hundred years, Abraham s descendants multiplied into a great big nation of people called the Israelites. The Israelites eventually moved to Egypt and settled there (point to the Timeline as you tell this history or show storytelling video). Over time, they had many, many children so many that it began to worry the Egyptian king, also called Pharaoh. 9
The Big God Story N O T E S : The Bible says Pharaoh made slaves of the Israelites, working them hard. And because they had multiplied, Pharaoh tried to reduce their numbers by killing their children! And so the Israelites cried out to God for help. The Bible says their cry went up to God [who] looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them (Exodus 2:23 25). Moses was 80 years old and all alone tending sheep on a mountain when God appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush [that] was on fire [but] it did not burn up (Exodus 3:2). That s amazing! (Show campfire video.) Who has sat by a campfire? You have to put logs on it over and over again to keep it from dying, right? So, how could this bush stay burning? That s what Moses may have wanted to know! The Bible says that when the Lord saw that [Moses] had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, Moses! Moses! (v. 4). Wow! The bush knew his name! Well, not the bush, of course but God! That must have been so amazing! God said to Moses, Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground (v. 5). In Moses time, it was bad to wear sandals in the presence of a king. Because God is the King of Kings the most holy One in the world He was teaching Moses how to worship Him by asking him to take off his sandals. Although God is the King of Kings, He is personally involved in the lives of His people and cares deeply about them. God said to Moses, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham I have indeed seen the misery of my people I am concerned about their suffering so I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians (vv. 6 8). Wow! God is not only the holy King of Kings and the God of Moses fathers, but He is a God who is concerned about His people and is going to free them from their slavery! Then God said to him, So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt (v. 10). Can you imagine? God just told Moses to go to the king of Egypt (think: the president of the United States), and tell him to let God s people go so they can worship the one true God! If you were in this situation, you might say, What? Why me? Send someone else please? That is what Moses said. Although God told Moses He would be with him, Moses asked God, Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, what is His name? Then what shall I tell them (v. 13)? It s clear from this question that Moses had a lot to learn about God. And God was up to the task of teaching him about Himself. When you ask someone their name, you expect them to say something like, Kyle or Jennifer something that makes sense. But God is not a person like you, me, 10
The Big God Story N O T E S : or anyone else. And He is not a false god like the gods of the Egyptians. He is the God of the universe, and His name is special. So, when God told Moses His name, He said something much more interesting than Bob or Jill. He said, I AM WHO I AM (Show I Am Who Am slide.) This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you (Exodus 3:14). (Pause. Blink.) I am who I am? That s not a name right? Also, saying: I AM has sent me to you doesn t even really make sense! What did God mean by this? Basically, God meant that He, alone, is the Lord. If you open your Bible to Exodus, chapter three, you will see that the word Lord is in all capital letters throughout the chapter (have the children look in their Bibles). Whenever you see this name in the Bible, it means that God is calling Himself, I am who I am. But why, exactly, is this important? This name is important because God connected this name to the covenant that He made with Abraham. And the covenant is important because it is God s promise to set His people apart to worship only Him. His name is also important in relation to the false gods of the Egyptians. When God says, I AM, He means it. He means that He exists. He is really real! Were the gods that the Egyptians worshipped real? No! They were not! And that s what God was saying: I am, and they are not! Wow! Through this process of introducing Himself as the Lord, as the King of Kings, and the holy One, God wanted the Israelites to know that they were His people, and their purpose was to worship only Him. His intention is also for us to worship only Him. That s a lot! When God called to Moses from the burning bush, Moses stood on holy ground before the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings. Because God is the Lord the God who was with Moses, the God who accomplishes what He has promised, the God who is real and cares about His people Moses could be sure and confident to follow Him. In our lives, we can have the same response to God. (Insert a story from your own life of a time when you understood that God is the Lord.) Today, God is still our Lord the One who is real, the One who loves us, and the One who wants us all to Himself. And our response as a faith community is to worship and follow Him. 11
LARGE Group S E C T I O N Respond// 15 20 min. Host/Worship Leader This is a time for kids to worship through silence, prayer, singing, giving, sharing, thanksgiving, and many other ways. Responding in His Power SUPPLIES TruWorship CD ( Dance, Radio the World) How do you hear God? video clip (see Resource Folder) Worship Response Stations: Prayer Wall and Prayer Journals SET UP Cue music and video, and bring out Worship Response Stations: Prayer Wall and Prayer Journals (see How It Works under the Resource Tab for examples and more information about creating and using Worship Response Stations). Make plans for your worship time but prepare yourself and your team to hold them loosely if the Holy Spirit leads the group in a different direction. N O T E S : ENGAGE Throughout The Big God Story, we will hear more and more about how God loves His people and wants to be in relationship with them. He proved this when He sent Jesus Christ His Son to die for us on the cross. Because God did this, we can be His people and worship Him for all time! Today we can hear God s voice just like Moses did. We might not hear God talking to us from a burning bush, but we can still hear Him and speak to Him. (Play the video. Ask the kids how they hear God s voice, and encourage them to answer.) A few ways we hear from God are by reading His Word, by praying to Him, by feeling something while listening to a worship song, by looking at a picture of His creation, and other ways. Sometimes we don t hear from Him at all, and that is okay because we know He still hears us. Take some time to have a conversation with God: How is He speaking with you today? How is He encouraging you to respond? Introduce the kids to the Worship Response Stations, and encourage them to write or draw a prayer to attach to the Prayer Wall, or write or draw a prayer in the Prayer Journals. They may also just sing and dance to the TruWorship CD, worshipping God, the Lord. IT S OKAY IF Help kids understand that God speaks to us in many ways mostly through His Word, prayer, and others. Encourage them to ask God for the ability to hear His voice, but also give them the freedom to know that it s okay if they do not always experience Him in the ways that other people do. 12
SMALL Group S E C T I O N Respond// 15 20 min. Small Group Leaders A time to engage in relationship, reflect on the lesson with spiritual conversation, and/or create a meaningful project or piece of art. Preparing for Remember & Celebrate Every 6th and 13th lesson you and your kids will be celebrating what God has done in your lives over the past few weeks. Remember & Celebrate lessons are set up a little differently, with an emphasis on feasts and festivals and more large group time. This is when you will use the Create and Large Group Respond pieces you are encouraged to collect. Also, peek ahead at the lesson for storytelling preparation suggestions (e.g. collect email or video to share with the large group). Reflect: God Is the Lord In Exodus, we saw how God loved His people and wanted them to worship Him alone. Because of this, God revealed He is the Lord who saves His people. His name has many meanings He is real, He will follow through on His covenants, and He wants His people to be able to worship Him. Throughout The Big God Story, we see more and more that God is the Lord. (Open your Bible, and encourage kids to join you in looking up the Scripture references for each question.) Questions for Younger Kids What did God want him to do? (Exodus 3:8 10) Why did God want to free His people from the Egyptians? How can we respond to God when He speaks to us? Questions for Older Kids What is a covenant? What was God s covenant with His people? (Genesis 15) How old was Moses when God called him? (Acts 7:23, 30) What did God want him to do? (Exodus 3:8 10) What did God say His name is? (Exodus 13:14) How did God show His people that He loved them? How has God shown you that He loves you? Create: God Is the Lord SUPPLIES notebook (1 per child, small group, or room) pens or markers SET UP Write God Is the Lord on the top of the notebook(s) cover(s), and place the notebook(s) and pens or markers somewhere in your small group room. Later, perhaps on Remember & Celebrate weekends, kids can look back on how God has been Lord of their lives. Encourage them to use the prayer notebook(s) throughout the year. ENGAGE Create prayer notebook(s) together. Encourage the kids to write or draw prayer requests, praise reports, or whatever else they would like to say to God each week. (Note: This can be an ongoing prayer notebook as part of your worship response [see How It Works under the Resource Tab for examples and more information about creating Worship Response Stations]). 13
N O T E S : God heard His people s cries and revealed Himself to Moses as the only and allpowerful God of the universe, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords the One who made a covenant with the Israelite forefathers, the One who cares deeply about His people, and the only One who can free us so we can worship only Him. God wants us to be free and to worship Him forever. He enjoys it when we worship Him by ourselves, but something special happens when we praise Him as a community. God loves it when His people come together to praise Him. What kinds of things can we praise the Lord for today? (Encourage the kids to answer.) After they have answered, direct them to the prayer notebook(s) with God Is the Lord written on the cover(s). Encourage the kids to praise God together by drawing or writing words that praise Him for who He is in the notebook(s). 14
SMALL Group S E C T I O N Bless// 5 min. Small Group Leaders A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement or guidance. A blessing can be offered in order to ask God s Spirit to overflow from the child s life to bless others or prayed over a child for the purpose of declaring God s protection, joy, or wisdom. Leader Tip Every lesson ends with a blessing. This is a time for parents and leaders to speak Truth over children s lives. The idea of the blessing is to transition the child from being blessed to being a blessing. The blessing can be done in many ways, but the more intentional you are about it, the more powerful it will be. Depending on whether parents are able to join in at this time, you may want them to put their hands on their child s head or kneel and look him in the eye as they bless him. Leaders, be sure to model how you envision the blessing working in your church so your volunteers and parents become comfortable with it. As kids are blessed, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to share with others the joy and love they have received from God. Encourage the kids to hold their hands in front of them, palms up. This posture is meant to symbolize a willingness of heart to respond to God s Holy Spirit and receive what God has for them. Invite them to remain in this posture as you bless them. Encourage parents to come early in order to read the blessing over their child. Open a Bible and read Psalm 145:3 4; 21: Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise; [Your] greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. Thank You, Lord, for how much You love us. Thank You for keeping Your promises to us and for making us Your own. We praise You! HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. HomeFront Monthly: Every four weeks we highlight one of the 10 environments. For each new environment, parents should receive HomeFront Monthly. This resource gives families ideas for how to create fun, spiritually forming times in their homes setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! 15